Combat personnelists get Airmen in, out of deployment

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  They do not fly combat missions, build bombs or conduct perimeter patrols, but the PERSCO team here processes the documents that make it possible for pilots, ammo troops and security forces to do those things supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

From hail to farewell, a two-person Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team deployed from Pope Air Force Base, N.C., manages files on the people assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing here and at forward-deployed locations throughout Afghanistan.

Being chosen to serve on a PERSCO team is special for personnelists, and few ever get the opportunity to serve in a combat zone, said Master Sgt. Carolyn Henriques, a 19-year veteran who is serving on her first deployment. Airmen selected for deployment attend three weeks of “combat personnelist” training, she said.

Work in deployed locations is often a little more challenging than at home station -- manning, supplies and equipment shortages are common, said Airman 1st Class Angelique Smith.

“We just don’t have a lot of paper here, so (we ask) that Airmen bring extra copies (of their orders) to give away when they arrive here,” she said. Another deployment “must-have” item is an updated emergency data card, she said.

Sometimes the team works with inbound troops well before they arrive. Airmen slated for rotation should have the names and contact information of the people they are replacing about 60 days before they head out for deployment, but this is not always the case, said Sergeant Henriques. To help ensure rotations happen as smoothly as possible, the PERSCO Airmen play the middleman by providing points of contact, she said. The Air Force Personnel Center provides a list of personnel offices throughout the area on their Web site at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil under the Readiness Support link on the Military menu.

To understand procedures at their four-month home, the PERSCO Airmen provide new arrivals a combat orientation that includes information about minefields, unexploded ordnance and attack postures, Airman Smith said.

“It’s a long meeting, but we share important information about the base. Combat zones are very different from what you’ll find at home,” she said.

Although it is not technically part of their mission, when Airmen here are no longer “newbies,” the team continues assisting them by processing sustainment paperwork, Sergeant Henriques said. Troops commonly request help with applications for career job reservations, retraining, service extensions and re-enlistments, she said.

“The challenge we face is that PERSCO isn’t our everyday job,” Airman Smith said. “We come in ‘blind’ on a lot of personnel issues here, but we are willing to hunt down the instructions (or) regulations or find someone who can help us figure out what needs to be done.”

“Our PERSCO team is doing amazing things, providing the gamut of mission support squadron support one would only expect at home, including many areas outside their expertise. If it needs to be done, they consider it their job to do it,” said Lt. Col. Richard Marks, 455th Expeditionary Support Squadron commander deployed from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. “The outstanding customer service this two-person team provides from boots on the ground to wheels up has ensured that personnel needs are being met, which allows our troops to deliver the vital OEF combat support necessary for mission success.”

While the job of the PERSCO Airman is to assist the troops here, support from their fellow Airmen keeps them going, Airman Smith said. When she was feeling down about not being present for the birth of her first nephew, she was far from alone in dealing with her own personal issue, she said.

“Everyone was visiting me and asking to see the photos my sister sent to make me feel better,” the Airman said. “The coolest part about this deployment is that people take the extra steps to help each other out.”